'Operation Spiderweb’: How Ukraine destroyed over a third of Russian bombers

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) reported connected Sunday that complete a 3rd of each Russian rocket carriers person been deed successful a coordinated drone onslaught aimed astatine different airfields successful Russia located thousands of kilometres apart.

More than 40 craft are known to person been hit, including nan A-50, Tu-95, and Tu-22 M3, causing wide harm of much than €6 billion. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said "Operation Spiderweb" had made "an perfectly superb result" which was "achieved solely by Ukraine."

The Ukrainian president besides shared much specifications connected really nan cognition was carried out, explaining that 117 drones had been used, each pinch its ain pilot. 

"The astir absorbing point — and we tin already opportunity this publically — is that nan 'office' of our cognition connected Russian territory was located correct adjacent to nan FSB (Federal Security Service) of Russia, successful 1 of their regions,” he said successful a station connected Telegram. 

In a awesome rustle to Russia’s information services, Zelenskyy said Ukraine managed not only to execute nan cognition but besides to safely retreat nan group involved. They were operating "in different Russian regions — successful 3 clip zones."

“Our astir long-range operation. Our group progressive successful preparing nan cognition were withdrawn from Russian territory successful time," he explained.

Zelenskyy said it took Kyiv "one year, six months, and 9 days from nan commencement of readying to effective execution." 

He thanked nan caput of Ukraine’s Security Service, General Vasyl Malyuk, and asked him to uncover nan specifications and results of nan cognition to nan public. 

"Of course, not everything tin beryllium revealed astatine this moment, but these are Ukrainian actions that will undoubtedly beryllium successful history books," he added. 

"Ukraine is defending itself, and rightly truthful — we are doing everything to make Russia consciousness nan request to extremity this war. Russia started this war, Russia must extremity it," Zelenskyy wrote. 

What we cognize truthful acold astir Operation Spiderweb

Although Ukraine’s information work has not revealed much specifications astatine this stage, Ukrainian outlets are reporting precisely really nan cognition was executed, referencing SBU sources. 

According to these reports, first-person-view (FPV) drones were smuggled heavy wrong Russia and hidden wrong trucks successful mobile log cabins.

The cabins' roofs were past opened remotely, and nan drones proceeded to motorboat their onslaught connected Russian subject bombers. 

Russia’s Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev confirmed that nan drones that attacked a subject guidelines successful Siberia's Sredniy were launched from wrong a truck. In a station connected Telegram, he said that nan motorboat tract had been secured and location was nary further threat to people's lives.

Russian outlets besides reported that different attacks were launched successful a akin manner, pinch drones emerging from nan backs of trucks.

Social media footage wide shared by Russian media appears to show nan drones rising from wrong containers, while nan panels dishonesty discarded connected nan road. One clip appeared to show men climbing onto a motortruck successful an effort to intercept nan drones. 

In a show of nan readying process of "Operation Spiderweb", Ukraine’s Security Service shared a photograph connected Telegram of SBU caput General Malyuk looking astatine pictures of Russian bombers and nan airfields. 

SBU operations

"Operation Spiderweb" is not nan first unconventional cognition to beryllium carried retired by Ukraine’s Security Service. 

In October 2022, nan SBU struck nan Kerch bridge, which had been illegally built by Russia aft its annexation of Crimea successful 2014. 

The explosion, which Russian authorities said was caused by a motortruck bomb, severely damaged nan span which links Moscow-occupied Crimea and Russia.

The targeting of Russian bombers, which person been carrying retired monolithic rocket attacks connected Ukrainian cities, was antecedently considered almost unthinkable. Moscow had made judge to support them good retired of nan scope of Kyiv’s weapons, some homemade and those supplied by allies. 

Olenya aerial guidelines is located successful Russia's Murmansk region, astir 2,000 km from nan separator pinch Ukraine. Belaya aerial guidelines is successful Russia's Irkutsk region, successful south-eastern Siberia and complete 4,000 km eastbound of nan frontline. These 2 airfields were among nan hardest deed during Sunday's operation.

Another notable facet of nan "Operation Spiderweb" was nan prime of weapons. Kyiv utilized FPV drones, which are produced successful Ukraine en masse and are wide utilized and appreciated by nan subject owed to their affordability. 

FPV drones typically costs only a fewer 100 euros, while a Russian A50 radar discovery aircraft, which was reportedly deed coming on pinch different planes, costs complete €300 million. 

Ukraine’s statesmanlike advisor and erstwhile curate of strategical industries Oleksandr Kamyshin has said Ukrainian manufacturers person nan capacity to nutrient complete 5 cardinal FPV drones per year.